<p>I realize that posting this on the upenn site may give me some biased answers, but I’ll ask anyways</p>
<p>Basically, I am deciding between upenn/wharton…and indiana university/kelley (school of business)…I’ll weigh the pros and cons</p>
<p>Upenn/wharton: Well i visited for penn previews, and it was great. i loved being at wharton, and i felt like I wanted to start management 100 right away! obviously, i feel like i have worked my butt off in high school, and i want to go to wharton/penn/ivy/prestigious school…however, the “EFC” was ridiculous-there is no way my parents can give what they say they should be able to…and its very likely i may graduate w/ approx 100K in debt…yeah so that stinks </p>
<p>IU/kelley: they offered me something that is called the “kelley scholar” which includes: tuition, room/board, study abroad, costs associated w/ internships…and aside from the $$$ portion of it…you get to meet with all the important leaders/businesspeople that come through the school and act as student body representatives, also you get a faculty member who is your advisor and only yours…its a great program and quite an honor…in addition, i really do like IU too, and i think i would be happy there too…</p>
<p>since this is the penn board, you will find that most people are going to tell you to go to wharton. but i will be honest. i think the IU/Kelley seems like a awesome program and it will be a lot more nice to not have that 100K in loans. I would not have chosen to attend Penn if I didn’t know that i would get significant aid.</p>
<p>What makes elite schools worth it is the connections. Your friends are the future leaders in their fields, and those connections matter. My MGMT-234 prof has brought in guest speakers (quite successful people) with whom he encourages us to network.</p>
<p>A lackluster GPA from Wharton will take you far. Anything less than a top decile GPA from a no-name school…well…won’t.</p>
<p>The $100k investment in your education now will repay itself countless times over. Come hither!</p>
<p>johnnyk-i do thank you for the advice
but i wouldnt necessarily call kelley a “no-name school”
it was top 10 by businessweek last year…and i think its 16th now?
but again, an honest opinion i appreciate</p>
<p>If you got tons of money from Stern, Ross, or Haas, I would say forget about Wharton. Kelly isn’t at that level, but somehow is able to take mediocre high school students and get them solid jobs.</p>
<p>Go with Kelley. You don’t need that kind of debt. You will get a good job out of Kelley. To get a direct admit as a freshman you can NOT be a mediocre high schooler. I am a Kelley grad and my son is at Penn, and if you want to PM me I can discuss his experience so far at Penn.</p>
<p>I am facing a similar situation for my daughter, though the institutions are different. From my experience (with similar academic background) I can tell you, the most important factor is ‘How good you are?’. The very fact that you have qualified for Wharton, and also chosen as a ‘Kelley Scholar’, prove that you may not require the brand advantage, to start a career in any of the top consulting or investment banking firms. Once you join a firm, the rest is your performance, including the soft skill that you exhibit in handling your peers and seniors. From a Wall Street perspective, I can tell you, the brand name, becomes less relevant for any intelligent, hardworking, down-to-earth professional. </p>
<p>My personal opinion (if it matters to you) go to the institution, where you will have the best value addition in terms of personal development. Don’t woory about the ‘Loan’, you will be able to repay it from your bonus (max.3 years) if you happen to work in the Wall street.</p>